Safety gun rest



24, 1950 J. A. PENDERGRASS 2,525,763

SAFETY GUN REST Filed June 23, 1949 INVENTOR, JAMES A. PENDERGRASS HTT'ORNEK Patented Oct. 24, 1950 UNITED/STATESv PATENT OFFICE sAFnrY GUN nssr James-Arthur Fender grass, Miami, Fla. Application June 23, 1949, Serial No. 100,873

6 Claims; (o1. 224--) This invention relates ,to safety gun rests or clamps for the use of hunters and others in the carrying of shot-guns and rifles while hunting or the like.

The chietrpurpose; of 'thekinventionis to provide a gun rest or clamp which may be removably attached to a mans shoulder strap or jacket, and so formed as to open out for engaging a gun-stock at the trigger guard in such manner as to leave the mans arms entirely free and: so that the normal weighting and tendency of the weapon will incline the gun barrel downward towards the ground, thus minimizing the chance of accident.

Another object of the invention is to providea gun rest of the kind referredto, the same comprising an oblong base frame, a clamping member pivotally mounted upon the lower end of the frame and spring-set to resiliently press inward, said clamping member including means for limiting the outward pivotal movement or opening thereof only to the extent necessary for receiving the gun-stock at the trigger guard, and whereby the gun is supported in safety position, and means for removably securing the device upon the person of a man.

With the stated objects in view, together with such other and additional objects and advantages as may appear from the specification, attention is now directed to the accompanying drawing as embodying a preferred form of the invention, and wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing the figure of a man carrying a gun supported in a gunrest as constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a frontal elevational view of the gunrest or clamp alone, on an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a side or edge view of the gun-rest or clamp, same being shown in full lines as closed, and in dotted lines as opened, for receiving the un-stock.

The invention comprises a rectangular or preferably oblong base frame 5, of heavy wire or other suitable material. Upon the lower cross bar 5a of this frame an arcuate clamping member or arm or jaw, referred to generally at 6, is pivotally mounted by its lower end upon the lower end of the frame and is spring-set to normally close inward to the base frame 5, and to have only limited opening movement outward for receiving the stock of a gun I. The clamping member 6 is preferably made of a single length of heavy wire looped medially upon itself as at 6a to form the jaw proper, the ends thereof being then extwisted together to form a shank 6b, and the extremities of the wire being then spread-laterally asunder and looped first vertically around the 7 lower cross bar to toform the-pivotloops 6c ateach side of the frame, and then looped horiproper 5a to the extent only as required'for the reception of the stock 1a of the gunl, at a point immediately below the trigger guard lb. By this arrangement and the limited opening movement of the jaw or clamp Ea, after the gun-stock'is seated within the jaw 6a, the weight of the gun is then supported upon the trigger guard against further slippage, and with the barrel 1c of the gun pointed downward towards the ground, as

shown in Figure 1, in safety position. 1

For removably securing the gun-rest as'described upon the person of the user, a heavy safety pin 8 of conventional construction is provided, the lower length 8a thereof being passed freely through bores in the side bars 5b immediately below the upper cross bar 50 of the frame 5, and the upper and open length 81) thereof being extended along above the cross-bar 5c of the frame, the pointed end of this upper length of the pin being releasably engageable by the end loop of the pin, in the usual manner.

The clamping member or jaw 6 is formed arcuately on a vertical section, as shown in Figure 3, for efiiciently engaging and holding the gun, and this jaw is resiliently pressed inward by a wire spring 9 coiled around the lower cross-bar 5a, and with its extremity anchored to the bar at 941, while the opposite end thereof is extended upward and hooked laterally under torsion across the shank 6110f the jaw 6.

The device as described is preferably covered or encased with leather, as indicated at I I] in Figures 2 and 3, this covering being slotted vertically at each side as at Ma for passing therethrough the waist belt of the wearer, if desired.

In use, the device is fastened upon the jacket or shoulder strap of the wearer, as indicated at H, in Figure 1. Thus positioned the gun-stock lies under the arm-pit of the user, ready for instant use, while the hands are left free for other purposes, such as holding a fish pole, fixing bait on a hook, lighting a pipe or fire, and similar employments.

And while I have here shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention and the structural features thereof, it is understood that the construction shown may be changed or modified as desired, within the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a safety gun rest adapted for support on a body garment, a base frame of substantially rectangular form having parallel side bars and top and bottom cross bars, a clamping arm pivotally moiuited on the bottom cross bar, a spring element anchored at one end to the bottom cross bar of the frame and having its other end engaged with the clamping arm intermediate the ends of the latter for normally influencing the clamping arm toward the frame for engaging and holding a gun stock and a garment attaching pin clasp carried by the upper ends of the side bars.

2. A safety gun rest as set forth in claim 1, wherein the clamping arm comprises a heavy wire bent upon itself to form an arm loop, and a twisted neck with the ends beyond the neck directed outwardly and looped to be engaged with the bottom cross bar to form the arm pivot.

3. A safety gun rest as set forth in claim 1, wherein the clamping arm comprises a heavy wire bent upon itself to form an arm loop, a twisted neck with the ends beyond the neck directed outwardly and looped to be engaged With the bottom cross bar to form the arm pivot, and said spring element comprising a resilient wire having one end coiled around and anchored to said bottom cross bar with the other end engaged with the twisted neck of the clamping arm.

4. A safety gun rest as set forth in claim 1, wherein the clamping arm comprises a heavy wire bent upon itself to form an arm loop, a twisted neck with the ends beyond the neck directed outwardly and looped to be engaged with the bottom cross bar to form the arm pivot, and an extension on each loop enclosing the adjacent end of each side bar of the frame for limiting pivotal opening movement of the clamping member.

5. A safety gun rest as set forth in claim 1, wherein the clamping arm comprises a heavy wire bent upon itself to form an arm loop, a twisted neck with the ends beyond the neck directed outwardly and looped to be engaged with the bottom cross bar to form the arm pivot, said spring element comprising a resilient wire having one end coiled around and anchored to said cross bar with the other end engaged with the twisted neck of the clamping arm, and an extension on each loop enclosing the adjacent end of each side bar of the frame for limiting pivotal opening move ment of the clamping member.

6. A safety gun rest as set forth in claim 1, wherein a leather strap extends between the side bars of the frame with belt guide slots therein and said pin clasp when engaged with a garment acting to prevent creeping movement of the gun rest on a belt.

JAMES A. PENDERGRASS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 16,238 Thompson Dec. 29, 1925 475,640 Unger May 24, 1892 559,053 Bolt Apr. 28, 1896 695,176 Rurnsey Mar. 11, 1902 1,618,088 Hinrichs Feb. 15, 192'? 2,469,386 Hanson May 10, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 410,518 France Mar. 16, 1910 

